Back catalogue: Soundtracks

Review: There's no doubt that this brilliant, synthesizer-heavy soundtrack played a key part in the success of Netflix's deliciously odd thriller, Stranger Things. Written and performed by Survive members Kyle Dixon and Michael Steen, it has the right balance between John Carpenter style creepiness, Vangelis-like melodiousness, and the cinematic feel of classic movie soundtrack material. Happily, the streaming behemoth has decided to release two volumes of musical highlights from the series, beginning with this first volume. It's testament to the quality of the Texas-based duo's work that those who've not seen the series should still enjoy it. This is atmospheric, clandestine electronic music of the highest order. Moody, immersive, and reminiscent of the best material from the 1980s.

Review: Talk to anyone about Stranger Things and it will only be a matter of minutes before the sensational soundtrack is mentioned. The future retro synths of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein have a huge impact on deepening the occult feelings you experience when watching the show and that continued through Series 3. Now you can grab the accompanying tracks on neon pink vinyl, which features the vulnerable "You're A Fighter", celebratory 80s synth pop stomps of "Starcourt" and meditative charms of "The Ceiling Is Beautiful" amongst other nuggets of gold. The producers themselves have said this is less a score and more a series of cues, and it certainly got us thinking.

Review: Talk to anyone about Stranger Things and it will only be a matter of minutes before the sensational soundtrack is mentioned. The future retro synths of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein have a huge impact on deepening the occult feelings you experience when watching the show and that continued through Series 3. Now you can grab the accompanying tracks on this mysterious CD, which features the vulnerable "You're A Fighter", celebratory 80s synth pop stomps of "Starcourt" and meditative charms of "The Ceiling Is Beautiful" amongst other nuggets of gold. The producers themselves have said this is less a score and more a series of cues, and it certainly got us thinking.

Review: There's no doubt that the brilliant, synthesizer-heavy soundtrack played a key part in the success of Netflix's deliciously odd thriller, Stranger Things. Written and performed by Survive members Kyle Dixon and Michael Steen, it got the right balance between John Carpenter style creepiness, Vangelis-like melodiousness, and the cinematic feel of classic movie soundtrack material. Happily, the streaming behemoth has decided to release two volumes of musical highlights from the series, beginning with this first volume. It's testament to the quality of the Texas-based duo's work that those who've not seen the series should still enjoy it. This is atmospheric, clandestine electronic music of the highest order.

Review: Hot on the heels of volume one, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein present a second selection of tracks composed for the soundtrack of Netflix's acclaimed weirdo-thriller, Strangest Things. As with the first edition, the 39 highlighted compositions are built around the duo's obsession with vintage analogue synthesizers and drum-computers, including the Granddaddy of the lot, the pioneering Fairlight "computer musical instrument" (check the woozy CMI choral samples on "I Know What I Saw"). Even if you've not seen the series, the music stands on its own; for proof, check out the ghostly ambience of "Crying", the tightly-wound creepiness of "Danger Danger", and the glistening, sun-kissed bliss of "Talking To Australia".

Review: Hot on the heels of volume one, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein present a second selection of tracks composed for the soundtrack of Netflix's acclaimed weirdo-thriller, Strangest Things. As with the first edition, the 39 highlighted compositions are built around the duo's obsession with vintage analogue synthesizers and drum-computers, including the Granddaddy of the lot, the pioneering Fairlight "computer musical instrument" (check the woozy CMI choral samples on "I Know What I Saw"). Even if you've not seen the series, the music stands on its own; for proof, check out the ghostly ambience of "Crying", the tightly-wound creepiness of "Danger Danger", and the glistening, sun-kissed bliss of "Talking To Australia".

Review: Contrasting to the already-released soundtrack vinyl (full of 80s pop hits a-la Kate Bush, Siouxsie & The Banshees, and The Cramps), this Invada release of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein's original soundtrack to Stranger Things' fourth series takes an obviously different approach. While the pop songs that scoured the series tended to be upbeat and of the best curatorial quality, Dixon and Stein's original motifs come in two versions of moodier and more dramatic intent. Volume 1 contains all manner of moody arpeggiations, atmospherics and top-notch darkwave stylings.

Review: This is a black vinyl version of the latest musical accompaniments to Stranger Things. in contrast to the soundtrack full of 80s pop hits a-la Kate Bush, Siouxsie & The Banshees, and The Cramps, this Invada release of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein's original soundtrack to Stranger Things' fourth series takes a different approach. While the pop songs that scoured the series tended to be upbeat and of the best curatorial quality, Dixon and Stein's original motifs come in two versions of moodier and more dramatic intent. Volume 1 contains all manner of moody arpeggiations, atmospherics and top-notch darkwave stylings.

Review: Contrasting with the already-released soundtrack vinyl (full of 80s pop hits a-la Kate Bush, Siouxsie & The Banshees, and The Cramps), this Invada release of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein's original soundtrack to Stranger Things' fourth series takes an obviously different approach. While the pop songs that scoured the series tended to be upbeat and of the best curatorial quality, Dixon and Stein's original motifs come in two versions of moodier intent. Volume 2 is obviously more climactic, as the music increases to a crescendo to complement the season's latter half.

Review: We thought they didn't make them like this anymore. Then they made four seasons like this, and we all remembered what it meant to combine fantasy, horror, coming of age, and stick the lot in the most nostalgic decade for many people aged between mid-20s and late-50s. An age that, even if memories are hazy or you weren't even born ye, still manages to reflect the way the world was and had been for some time. The culmination of half a century's progress in mechanics and engineering, the final hurrah before the tech revolution got underway and changed our lives for good.

A key part of what makes Stranger Things so evocative is the music itself. Each instalment is littered with great chart tracks from the year in which they are set - not least this time round, with Kate Bush rocketing to the top of the charts with 'Running Up That Hill' thanks to its use in the show. Nevertheless, the finest sounds on offer are the original tracks, which come in the form of these synth heavy masterpieces, which should be longer, but instead opt for a 'keep them wanting more' philosophy.

Review: In some ways, the impact of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein's soundtrack to Netflix's Stranger Things was more important than the music itself. Certainly, it helped to reignite interest in synthesizer-heavy TV and movie soundtracks from the 1980s, in the process inspiring a swathe of imitations. The duo's work on this soundtrack from the recently released second series offers more of the same, delivering attractive, heavily electronic music that subtly doffs a cap to a variety of synthesizer-loving composers and artists. It's naturally cinematic in nature - all the music was written to enhance or emphasize the on-screen action, after all - but far quirkier and head turning than more neo-classical scores. In other words, it's another fine selection of atmospheric synthesizer soundscapes.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Box damaged, product unused & in perfect condition***

- 2 small cracks at top of case

Review: Gazelle Twin has had a cult following since her debut album a decade ago. A year ago she backed it up with Welcome To The Blumhouse: Nocturne. Now comes a second movie score that finds her damped her pop tendencies and turn up the atmosphere on an album which continues the themes of blighted Britain she has explored on other records. Max De Wardener, a noted composer for TV and film, is a fine collaborator here and the pair serve up an enticing, haunting score that will appear to lovers of classic Radiophonic Workshop sounds.

Review: If you've seen the movie Drive you'll realise how much this needed a reissue. Check the cost of College's bonafide synth pop anthem 'A Real Hero' on secondary marketplaces and you'll understand what we mean: not quite priceless, definitely inflated, but either way very expensive indeed. Of course buying the full LP will never get you the clout of the single pressing, but investing in this particular presentation gets you a stack more quality to play.

And some of the other work here is, frankly, spellbinding. The songs themselves are great, running the gamut from the stomp and spiral of 'Nightcall' by Kavinsky & Lovefoxx, to the show tune-esque 'Oh My Love' by Riz Ortolani, but really Cliff Martinez's original score is the bit we want to focus on. From the slow mo chug of 'Rubber Head' to the blissful, floating on a cloud towards a lovely sort of death ambience of 'He Had A Good Time'.

Review: The Invada label overseen by Portishead's curmudgeonly beat maker Geoff Barrow drop this fifth anniversary edition of Cliff Martinez's highly lauded soundtrack to Ryan Gosling vehicle Drive. It's hard not to see the music Martinez picked as well as produced as one of the classic sound tracks of contemporary cinema - aside from the inclusion of Frenchman whose career has been given a boost no one really wanted thanks to the Lovefoxx (of CSS fame) collaboration "Night Call". Bask in the delicate sounds of College and Desire, bug out to Chromatics at their darkest with "Tick Of The Clock" and then sink into the fourteen original compositions from Martinez which positively drip with finely judged atmosphere.

Review: Originally out in 2012, Cliff Martinez's soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive was a smash hit. While this might not seem out of the ordinary, that is actually no small feat in this day and age; soundtracks have all too often become dispensable and it is rare for people to talk about one with the same sort of praise as this particular thriller. The lead tune is, of course, Kavinsky and Lovefoxx's "Nightcall", a song that is still getting significant playback these days, and one which makes for a strong contender to the best material from electro-pop acts like Daft Punk. "A Real Hero" by College has also made it into the big league since the film's release, along with a number of absolutely timeless, pop-infused r&b ballads like "Tick Of The Clock" by The Chromatics. Cliff Martinez's own material features prominently at the tail-end, of course. A hotly recommended 2 hours of music to accompany any sort of mood.